Aena’s airports shine in Brazil, with more growth ahead

Juan José Sánchez Guinoza, Chief Commercial Officer at Aena Brasil, talks to Travel Markets Insider about results and opportunities. While Congonhas is the chief protagonist of Aena’s Brazil portfolio, the operator sees growth opportunities throughout the whole network. John Gallagher reports.

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Brazil continues to be critically important for the international growth and development of Madrid-based airport operator Aena. Last year, the Aena group handled more than 438 million passengers worldwide, an increase of 8.5% compared to 2023. In Brazil, the airports managed by Aena registered more than 43.3 million passengers, an increase of 8.6% on the previous year and up 10.6% on 2019, the last full year of passenger movement prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the company’s arrival in Brazil five years ago, Aena has grown to become the largest airport operator in the country in terms of number of airports and landing and take-off operations; in addition, Aena Brasil is the second largest operator in terms of total passengers.

Two separate concession contracts account for Aena’s current position. In March 2019, Aena successfully bid R$1.90 billion to win the 30-year airport management contract to manage the airports at Recife, Maceió, João Pessoa, Aracaju, Juazeiro do Norte, and Campina Grande. The company took over the day-to-day management of the six airports in North-East Brazil in 2020.

In 2023, the operator took over the management of the airports at Congonhas, Campo Grande, Uberlândia, Santarém, Marabá, Montes Claros, ParaupebasCarajás, Uberaba, Altamira, Ponta Porã, and Corumbá. The fee for the 30-year concession was R$2.45 billion, with Aena also paying a variable fee, with a four-year grace period, consisting of a percentage of gross revenue, which will increase from 3.23% to 16.15% per year.

The two concessions are managed by different companies under the Aena Brasil umbrella: Aeroportos do Nordeste do Brasil (ANB) and Bloco de Onze Aeroportos do Brasil (BOAB). Congonhas, in São Paulo, is the largest airport in Aena’s Brazilian portfolio and in the BOAB group, with more than 23.1 million travelers in 2024, an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year. Recife Airport, the largest airport in the ANB Group located in NorthEast Brazil, handled 9.6 million passengers, a 6.1% increase on the previous year.

“We have been busy with all sorts of works at all the airports we now manage. All essential works have been completed in the six airports in the North-East, and these have been successfully handed over to the regulatory authorities,” Aena Brasil’s Chief Commercial Officer Juan José Sánchez tells TMI.

“In the group of 11 airports, BOAB, ten are set to be completed by June 2026. Congonhas is scheduled to be finished by June 2028.”

“Aena Brasil has been operating for five years. Two years ago, we introduced a new commercial structure, to better address emerging challenges and opportunities, bringing in fresh talent to complement the existing team,” Sánchez continues.

“Our commercial strategies and planning are led by the head office team, based in São Paulo, while execution and day-to-day leadership are carried out by the commercial teams at each airport. We operate within a matrix-based structure that emphasizes collaboration, continuous feedback, and shared success. The team’s focus extends beyond duty-paid, and duty free retail, VIP lounges, and food and beverage. We also explore opportunities in services such as parking, car rentals, transportation, and telecommunications. Additionally, our portfolio includes aviation fuel, aeronautical services, domestic and international cargo, and real estate assets at each airport.

“Managing 17 airports, each with its own unique profile and set of challenges, is undoubtedly complex. However, in a short period, we have developed a system that is working well. We have been working hard, and there are many exciting opportunities ahead.”

Now that the essential work has been completed at the six North-Eastern airports, Sánchez says that the focus has shifted to refining shop designs and introducing innovative concepts to boost the performance of the retail mix.

The Block of 11 airports present a different challenge.

“Our clear objective across all airports is to deliver a new commercial offer spanning more than 24,000 sqm and to enhance the overall airport experience for all travelers,” explains Sánchez.

While Congonhas is the flagship asset, Aena remains highly optimistic about the potential across the entire portfolio.

“We recognize that Congonhas is our most valuable asset, but our strategy is to develop the entire network.”

For example, Campo Grande has enormous potential to grow as it is considered a wealthy region, given its strong economy, with one of the highest GDP per capita in Brazil.

“Uberlândia is an economic powerhouse. Its diversified economy includes agriculture-related businesses, manufacturing, and technology. In addition, its advanced infrastructure and strategic location make it an important logistics hub. We will be looking for growth there over the next few years.

“If we look at the wonderful NorthEast of Brazil, we will see that Recife is one of our better-known airports, outside the country, and we believe we will reach 10 million passengers this year. Currently, 11 international routes connect Recife International Airport with other countries, including Portugal (Lisbon and Porto), Spain (Madrid), the United States (Fort Lauderdale and Orlando), Chile (Santiago), Uruguay (Montevideo), Argentina (Buenos Aires Ezeiza and Aeroparque; as well as Córdoba), and Paraguay (Asunción, in the high season).

“International traffic is growing at Recife, Maceió, and João Pessoa and we feel that growth will continue for several years.”

Aena also sees opportunities for revenue generation among some of the smaller airports like Marabá despite low passenger figures.

“Very often we find we can make solid revenues from real estate opportunities due to its excellent location. For example, we are currently offering to the market a prime airport property for the development of a 28,000 sqm wholesaler store,” notes Sánchez.

“In some of the smaller airports, revenues are not driven by retail or food and beverage. In fact, rental car services can generate surprisingly high income, depending on the airport’s location and the profile of its travelers,” Sánchez explains.

“In other airports logistics services are a major revenue driver, especially as we expand our domestic and international cargo operations.”

Cargo has shown a strong performance in the past year, with cargo handling growing by 16%, surpassing 150,000 tons. The outlook for this year is for a slight increase due to macroeconomic conditions in Brazil.

“Air cargo volumes are highly sensitive to the global macroeconomic environment. However, the domestic market tends to be more resilient, largely driven by the growth of e-commerce,” says Sánchez. “E-commerce remains one of our strongest growth opportunities as we continue to expand cargo capabilities across our network.”

Congonhas

Congonhas, the biggest airport in the portfolio, only serves Brazilian domestic flights.

“Significant transformations have already taken place at Congonhas. When we took over the concession, the airside commercial offer was much smaller. Most of the food and beverage options were located landside, and even two of the three VIP lounges were located before the security control. We have since changed our strategy, to focus on enhancing the airside experience,” notes Sánchez.

“When we took over the management of Congonhas, we quickly identified significant underutilized commercial space within the terminal. At the time, most of the commercial offer was primarily concentrated on the landside. Our initial goal was to implement quick enhancements to elevate the traveler experience, while simultaneously laying the groundwork for long-term development.”

Aena opened more than ten new commercial stores at Congonhas last year – resulting in a vast improvement in retail, says Sánchez – as well as revitalizing outdated passageways that had remained unchanged for decades.

“With Dufry do Brasil, our retail partner at Congonhas, we inaugurated a much improved walk-through duty-paid store bringing it up to date compared to the very outdated retail model that was here before. The store now measures 600 sqm and will serve our passengers well until the new terminal extension is completed.

“In 2025, we launched a new VIP Lounge, with at least two additional lounges set to open soon. By the end of the year, we will have 28 new stores fully operational. Food and beverage will play a central role in these developments, offering a diverse range of options, including a Kopenhagen chocolate store, perfect for travelers looking for gifts.

“Within the next month, we will also unveil a new 1,000 sqm marketplace, featuring a last-minute duty-paid shop and a Vista Corona bar enhancing the overall passenger experience.”

Aena has also improved the arrival experience at Congonhas by establishing strong commercial agreements with other service providers.

“We have successfully organized the app-based taxi pick-up process. Until mid2024, passengers struggled to find their taxi due to extremely chaotic traffic. Today, the curb side has been reorganized into clearly marked sectors, making it much easier for passengers to find their drivers. This improvement was made possible through the creation of a dedicated parking zone for app-based taxis, and a designated pick-up area. The project not only enhances the passenger experience but also generates revenue through pick-up fees and has resulted in an estimated 50% reduction in vehicle traffic on the airport’s access roads.”

Aena is continuing to re-design the arrival experience at Congonhas by creating a whole new pick-up area filled with 1,200 sqm of commercial offers for the passengers, says Sánchez.

“By 2028, our goal is to expand the commercial retail space at Congonhas Airport from the current 9,000 sqm to approximately 22,000 sqm. In parallel, we will also be increasing commercial areas across the other airports within the Block of 11.”

This expansion is part of a broader strategy to enhance the traveler experience throughout its airports, driving both increased revenue and delivering a more welcoming, and convenient environment for passengers.

Congonhas expansion underway

Congonhas’ current 45,000 sqm terminal is to be expanded to just over 100,000 sqm by June of 2028, offering additional opportunities for enhanced passenger services.

“We will have 19 new fingers, increasing the share of passengers boarding through them from the current 55% to around 80%, significantly reducing remote boarding. Remote operations will be relocated to a repurposed heritage hangar, which will include newly developed commercial areas and 10 additional boarding gates. The new terminal will allow us to grow from the current 23 million passengers to just over 30 million.”

Sánchez says that one area now reaching completion is the pick-up area for Ubers and other car services – where there will be 1,200 sqm of commercial space with 600 sqm for food and beverage.

“More is planned for 2028 when the terminal extension is ready. We are currently designing the tender process and evaluating the most effective strategy and whether we proceed airport by airport or as a full block or in partial blocks,” notes Sánchez.

“In February this year, we announced the advertising tender for our airport network, worth more than one billion Reais – effectively it is the biggest tender in Brazilian history. We are seeking innovative technologies that deliver a great visual impact, but at the same time minimizing visual pollution.

“The tender was divided into two parts – technical and financial. These tenders open space for unprecedented solutions in Brazil, connecting brands and consumers in a more dynamic, fluid, and impactful way. We hope to strengthen our relationship with the market and generate value for airport users, advertisers and all brands who participate.”

The tender was designed so that one company could take all 17 airports or only 6 in North-East and another company could take the block of 11.

“We are convinced that this model works well, and we are now in the process of deciding whether we have a similar style of tender for duty-paid retail.”

Sánchez confirms that Aena Brasil will be looking for proposals from companies participating in the tender, including international players.

“We envision a diversified retail mix, anchored by a large, innovative duty-paid store, complemented by smaller, brand-specific stores, outlets. The strategy will emphasize clear pricing, strong brand communication strategy, and seamless customer experience.

“Our main goal is to bring more value to Congonhas Airport users, who are typically frequent travelers with high disposable income,” he says.

The final part of the terminal development will be a major redevelopment of the executive aviation hangars. The hangars are currently operated independently but by 2032, Aena plans to have a dedicated passenger terminal offering a range of improved services for executive aviation users.

Sánchez looks ahead with confidence to an ambitious future for Aena Brasil, and he concludes “It is great to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past 20 months since taking over the block of 11 airports, but we are truly confident there are even greater things that lie ahead.”